Apparatus for retaining otherwise hand-held retractors

ABSTRACT

A retractor retaining device retains an otherwise handheld retractor in the retraction position. The device includes a flexible loop that is detachably attached to a retractor support proximate the surgical wound with the loop engaging a proximal end or handle of the retractor to retain the retractor in the retraction position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to surgical retractors, and to devices forholding surgical retractors in a retraction position.

Most improvements in surgical retractor supports or clamps to holdsurgical retractors in a retraction position are directed toimprovements on devices that have been used to mount retractors onretractor supports using rigid mechanical clamps for restraints.However, in certain situations, retractors are still manually held by anurse or a surgeon since no clamp provides such versatile holdingcharacsteristics. There are no devices that will retain a retractor inthe retraction position that is otherwise manually held from a typicalretractor support. The Edoga U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,047 describes the useof a belt on which various types of retractor retaining mechanism areshown, especially in FIGS. 7 a through 7 i. However, these retainingmechanisms do not address the problem of quickly and easily retaining anotherwise manually held retractor. Furthermore, the retractor handle hasto be specially adapted to engage the fastening mechanism.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a retractor retaining device forretaining a retractor in a retraction position within a surgical woundfrom a retractor support. The retractor retaining device includes a mainbody that is attachable to the retractor support and a flexible loopthat is detachably attached to the main body for engaging a proximal endof the tractor such that the retractor is retained in the retractionposition.

The invention also includes a method of holding a surgical retractor inthe retraction position within the surgical wound. The method includesproviding a support member near the surgical wound and then inserting aretractor within the surgical in a retraction position. The retractor isretained in the retraction position by securing a proximal end of theretractor in engagement with a flexible loop that is attached to thesupport member thereby securing the retractor in the retractionposition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention in use.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of one embodiment of the device in the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the bottom surface of anotherembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The retractor retaining device of the present invention is generallyindicated at 10 in FIG. 1. Like reference characters will be used toindicate like elements throughout the drawings. The device 10 retains aretractor 12 in a retraction position. The device 10 is used forretaining retractors that are otherwise manually held in the retractionposition. The retractor 12 is initially manually placed in theretraction position and the device 10 is then used to retain theretractor 12 which otherwise would have to be held in a retractionposition manually by a doctor or a nurse.

The device 10 is mounted on a retractor support 14 that is positionedover or proximate to a surgical wound 16. The type of retractor support14 is not particularly important to the present invention except that itprovides a solid base to which the retaining device 10 is attached.

The essence of the present invention is to provide a structure and amethod for retaining the retractor 12 that is normally held in aretraction position manually. The device 10 quickly engages theretractor or is quickly disengaged from the retractor. The retractordoes not require a handle designed to be gripped by a specific retainingdevice and can therefore be of any shape. This purpose is accomplishedby providing a loop 18 that extends from the support 14 and encircles aproximal end (handle) 20 of the retractor 12. The retractor 12 at adistal end is inserted into the wound 16. The loop 18 encircles theproximal end 20 of the retractor 12 securing the retractor 12 in aretraction position.

The loop 18 is a portion of cord 24. The cord 24 is secured at a firstend 26 to a platform 28 of the retaining device 10. Preferably, thelength or size of the loop 18 is adjustable. For adjustability, the cord24 is detachably attachable to the platform 28 in a quickconnect/disconnect fashion. The detachable attachment serves at leasttwo purposes. The first is that the size of the loop 18 is therebyadjustable to accommodate different diameters of retractor handle 20,and second to quickly and easily encircle the handle 20 with the cord24.

A preferred method of quickly detachably attaching the cord 24 to theplatform 28 includes a V-shaped notch 30 in the platform 28. The cord 24is secured by positioning the cord 24 into the V-shaped notch 30 withthe V-shaped notch 30 engaging the cord 24 as the cord is pulled into aprogressively smaller area of the V-shaped notch 30.

The retaining device 10 is preferably configured to engage apertures 30in the retractor support member 14. Preferably, the retractor support 14has an upper surface 32 that is substantially flat and is disposed in anhorizontal position proximate the wound 16. The platform 28 of theretaining device 10 includes a correspondingly lower substantially flatsurface 34 as best illustrated in FIG. 2. The platform 28 includes aplurality of resilient fingers 34 as best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3that extend into one of the apertures 30 for securing the platform 28 tothe support member 14. The embodiment 10 includes preferably fourfingers as best illustrated in FIG. 3. A button member 36 extends into abore 38 and moves within the bore 38 in the direction indicated byarrows 40 in FIG. 2. The button member 36 has an upper portion 40extending above an upper surface 42 of the platform 28 such that theupper surface is engageable by a finger or thumb. At a lower portion 44,the button member 36 has a first reduced diameter section 46 that has asmaller diameter than the upper portion 40 and a second lower section ofreduced diameter 48 that has a smaller diameter than the section 46 andan end portion 50 disposed below and adjacent to section 48 and having adiameter larger than the sections 46 and 48.

The resilient fingers 34 flex in a direction indicated by arrows 52.Each finger 34 includes an upper finger section 54 that when extendedinto the aperture 30 is spaced therefrom to permit flexing. The fingers34 also each have a lower section 56 that is set apart from the uppersection 54 by an inwardly extending sloped shoulder 58 and an outwardlyextending shoulder 60. The inwardly extending sloped shoulder 58 extendssufficiently inward such that the upper portion 40 of the button member36 cannot be moved past inwardly facing surfaces 62 of the lower section56 of the finger 34. The inwardly facing surfaces 62 of each of thefingers 34 collectively form a through hole 64 through which the lowerportion 44 of the button member 36 is disposed and moves therethrough ina direction of arrow 41. The end portion 50 is positioned below thethrough hole 64 and has a diameter that is larger than the lower portion44 and larger than the through hole 64 such that the end portion 50 actsas a stop when the button member is pushed upwardly in one of thedirections indicated by arrow 40 and abuts against a lower surface 66 ofeach of the fingers 34.

In operation, to secure the device 10 to the support member 14, thefingers 34 are inserted into the aperture 30 with the button member atits uppermost position, that is the end portion 50 abutting against thelower surfaces 66 of the fingers 34. To secure the device 10 to thesupport member 14, the button member is engaged manually at its upperend 40 and pushed in a downward direction as indicated by arrow 41. Whenmoved in the downward direction, the end 40 and section 46 act againstthe inwardly extending sloped shoulders 58 of the fingers 34 therebyflexing the fingers in a radial outward direction as indicated by arrow52. The outwardly flexing of the resilient fingers engages the outwardlyextending shoulders 60 with a lower surface of the support member 14securing the device 10 to the support member 14.

To disengage the device 10 from the support member 14, the lower end 50is pushed manually in an upward direction as indicated by arrow 40thereby removing the section 46 from engagement with the inwardlyextending sloped shoulders 58 of the resilient fingers 34 therebypermitting the lower portions of the fingers 34 to extend radiallyinwardly such that the outwardly extending shoulders 60 are removed fromengagement with the lower surface of the support member 14.

Additionally, to better guide the engagement of the device 10 with thesupport member 14, a pair of downwardly extending guide posts 70 extenddownwardly from the platform 28 and engage a side surface 72 of thesupport member 14. The posts 70 preferably have beveled surfaces 74 tofacilitate engagement of the side surface 72 of the support member 14.The guide post 70 also prevents rotational movement of the platform 28about the aperture 30.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4which includes a downwardly extending guide shoulder 76 instead of theposts 70.

The cord 24 is engaged at one end to the platform 28 by initiallyinserting the first end 26 into a first cord engaging aperture 80, asbest illustrated in FIG. 3. The cord is then positioned along cavity 82and the remainder of the cord is then inserted into a second cordengaging aperture 84 and pulled such that the cord is drawn taught andfrictionally engaged by apertures 80 and 82. The cord 24 is made of aplastic material that is slightly compressible. The slightcompressibility of cord adds to the frictional forces for engagement ofthe cord through its travel within apertures 80 and 84.

The slight compressibility of the cord also aids in engagement of thecord with the V-shaped notch 30. The V-shaped notch 30 has oppositelyfacing surfaces 86 and 88 that progressively come together untilengagement aperture 90. The engagement aperture 90 is slightly less indiameter than the cord 24 such that when the cord 24 is pulled intoengagement within the V-shaped notch 30, it is retained thereby inaperture 90. The cord is easily detachable from the V-shaped notch bypulling outwardly in a direction indicated by arrow 92. Thereby, theloop 18 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is quickly formed and disposed aboutthe handle 20 of the retractor 12 and is made to fit the size of theretractor handle.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

1-28. (canceled)
 29. A retractor retaining device for retaining aretractor in a retraction position within a surgical wound, the devicecomprising: a retractor support; and a flexible cord detachably attachedat one end to the retractor support for engaging a proximal end of theretractor such that the retractor is retained in the retractionposition.
 30. The device of claim 29 and further including a main bodyattachable to the retractor support.
 31. The device of claim 29 andfurther including an attaching mechanism that engages and attaches theretaining device to the retractor support.
 32. The device of claim 31wherein the retractor support has a plurality of apertures and theattaching mechanism has an aperture engaging member for engaging one ofthe apertures.
 33. The device of claim 30 wherein the main body includesa V-type slot and wherein the cord is engageable within the V-type slotsuch that the second end of the cord is detachably attached to the mainbody.
 34. A method of holding a surgical retractor in a retractionposition within a surgical wound, the method comprising: providing asupport member near the surgical wound; inserting a distal end of aretractor within the surgical wound and manually positioning theretractor in the retraction position; and securing the retractor in theretraction position by engaging a proximal end of the retractor with aflexible cord that is attached to the support member
 35. The method ofclaim 34 wherein the cord is attached to the support member by engaginga V-shaped slot.